Causes of Abdominal Pain and Bloating and Gas – Their Relation

Abdomen discomfort is very common in people within the age limit of 14-60 years. To prevent bloating and gas, people have to understand the underlying reasons. Severe epigastric pain can make people uncomfortable in sleeping due to the burning pain from the abdomen, chest and neck. Stomach cramps which can be caused by intestinal gas, food poisoning, colitis, gallstones or Crohn’s disease, which can in-turn cause abdominal bloating and gas, can also have an effect on the treatment for abdominal pain.

It is also important to know whether the ‘stomach’ pain occurs in the upper or lower part. Once you have diagnosed where it occurs, you should be able to more pin-point on the side. The left abdominal pain can have different reasons than the right abdominal pain.

What are the causes of Upper Stomach Pain?

Most people are not well versed with the word “Abdominal pain”. The body spaced between the thorax (chest) and pelvis is referred as “abdomen”. The loose term for this technical term is ‘stomach’. Epigastrium or the epigastric region is a part of the abdomen in the upper middle region. The upper abdominal pain is also called as “epigastric pain“. It just occurs below your ribs. The pain you experience can be dull or burning and may spread to the chest and back.

The most common causes of upper stomach pain are urinary tract infection, gallstone, gastritis and gastroesophagieal reflux disease (GERD). There are less common causes like gallbladder disease and others. About 1 in 61 users are having urinary tract infection as the primary cause for upper abdominal pain. The second important cause is GERD with a probability of 1 in 100 users. The third significant cause which causes upper stomach pain is “gastritis” with 1 in 272 users more likely to feel it.

Another important cause for mild upper abdominal pain and discomfort is mainly caused by stomach ulcer or esophageal regurgitation. If this pain occurs after lunch or dinner, it is most likely caused by epigastric gas. In some of the cases, upper abdominal pain with pain in multiple muscles is caused by too much exercise or muscle disease.

There are more severe causes for upper abdominal pain. These include heart attack, hepatitis (liver inflammation), and pneumonia.

What causes Abdominal Bloating?

When the abdomen fills with air or gas, your stomach can bloat. This causes the upper part to appear visually larger. The abdomen may feel hard or tight.

The five main causes of ‘stomach’ bloating are –

Flatus (wind or flatulence)

Faeces (constipation)

Fat (being overweight)

Foetus (being pregnant)

Fluid (in the abdominal cavity)

Flatus is generally produced by the action of bacteria on the food we eat. Around 5 litres of gas per day is produced in the normal digestive tract. Wind is the most common cause for people complaining about bloated tummy. The key factors for this symptom is a combination of food intolerances and disturbance of bacterial flora in the gut.

Constipation can be caused by the increased use of pre-pared and refined foods. Also, being lazy and lethargic can also be the reason. Work pressure and stress can also make one prone to constipation. Being constipated also increases the chance of having gas in the digestive tract. This is due to the reason that bacterial are allowed to work longer on the food we eat.

If fluid accumulates in the stomach, it is medically known as “ascites”. This always indicates a serious health condition, but less likely to occur. If this condition occurs, the main reasons are –

Heart problems

Liver problems

Kidney problems

Tumours

Certain types of infections (eg. Tuberculosis).

If you feel that stomach bloating is occurring due to any of the above conditions, then you should seek medical advice urgently.

You Might Also Like

I am suffering from right side lower abdomin pain for the last one year. I have shown to several doctors but no doctor could diagnose the exact reason of pain. The pain is there in the abdomin around three to four inches below the ribs and around four to five inches from the navel towards the right side. It started one year back with a mild pain and gradually increased. I started showing to doctors. firts i showed to gastro doctor who said it is gas problem.Another gastro doctor told it is because of liver enlargement. One gastro doctor told it is a muscle pain. I feel uneasyness while sitting and while walking I feel slight pain even in the right leg and also in the right boll. The abdominal pain is not so severe but it is a dull type of pain causing uneasyness. I feel pain while stretching forward and backward. Also i feel pain on having food. I also feel pain during passing motion. I feel as such there is some swelling is there somewhere in the lower abdomen. It is really difficult to explain the real situation of pain.
My CT shows “Descending and sigmoid colon collapsed with thickened walls-Adv colonoscopy correlation/mild prostatomegaly”
my colonoscopy showed normal results.
my ultrasound abdomin showed fatty infiltration of liver and mild prostate enlargment
I am a diabetic the report shows 118 mg/dl in fasting
and 220 mg/dl in post lunch
my MRI abdomin shows fatty liver and mild prostate enlargment
my Screening of Spine shows
“Degenerative changes in the spine” and ” Disc bulges from C3-C4 to C6-C7 levels,D2-D3 and D8-D9 levels causing thaical sac and cord compression”
suggested MRI spine with whole spine.
MRI spine is not done so far.
When gastro donctor could not understand the problem i consulted neuro physician who gave me medicine. I felt little releif on taking neuro medicines but the problem is still there. Still I am feeling uneasiness. What could be the real problem. What should I do to get rid of this problems. I am feeling very uneasy. Kindly advise at the earliest. If any further tests are required I will under go the same. Shall I undergo urine culture exam. I donot feel any burning sensation. But I was getting frequent urination few months back. My urine report shows pus cells of 1 to 2 and albumin of 1 to 2. Kindly advise me what is my problem.
Yours sincerely,